CT: What should the government do to protect the Christians from further attacks?
Access to police has to be created because where the violence is happening Kandhamal district is a huge geographical mountainous terrain so there are not enough police stations and they cannot keep up with the law and order. If there are 50,000 displaced and 5,000 homes burnt then there are 5,000 complaints and then they need access to the police. So there must be more police stations and so that investigations can be done and people can feel that the largest democracy is also taking care of them.
CT: But is it not also the case that the police don't deal with the extremists? So when you say that more police should be deployed then presumably the government is going to have to make sure that they will do their jobs?
SP: Yes. There is a real lack of faith because police were just watching while this was going on and almost conniving in silence. The other thing to ask for would be fast track courts so that the court process would not take 10 or 15 years after the incident when people have grown up and moved on. That happens in many cases.
The main issue is that they make sure peace and security returns to that place. That means that those who committed this violence, the animosity in the name of religion, in the name of falsehood â" that the swami was killed by Christians and that there were forced conversations, which is false because there were no forced conversions in Orissa.
For peace to return, justice must be done and justice will only be done if the government has more will than it has now. We appreciate the prime minister says he felt ashamed but what did he do about it? He was very ashamed that Sarkozy in France said to him about it and that there are 50,000 people in the forest for 10 days before going to the relief camps. Every one of them is his people and their insecurity represents his insufficiency.
CT: So it's not safe for them to go back?
SP: There were two people killed who wanted to see what state their homes were in and so left the relief camps. It is absolutely unsafe to go back right now. I was there last week with Baroness Cox and it looks like a warzone. And for what? These tribals who are just following Jesus Christ. Is that a crime, that they dare to follow their choice of religion?
It is not only an attack on Christians but on India's secularism, on India's democratic principles that it is supposed to follow. We've put rockets to the moon and so many great things are happening internationally for India but why are we not taking care of basics â" safety, security, a fundamental right of livelihood, practising your religion of choice.
CT: Is it possible to enter into dialogue with the extremists? Are they approachable?
SP: We have said we will dialogue with the Hindu community leaders but with the extremists, it is like asking the US to dialogue with Bin Laden. Stop the violence first and come to a common ground that we value the constitution and abide by it. We will dialogue with every person but not the cultural terrorists.
Dialogue must begin not with the extremists but with the religious leaders and community leaders.
CT: What support would you like to receive from Christians in the UK?
SP: First is prayer that the authorities would act swiftly to implement justice. Then we would like to support the victims.
